Goldman CEO Blankfein says Trump's plans may be good for economic growth

Reuters

By Olivia Oran

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By Olivia Oran

(Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc CEO Lloyd Blankfein said the surprising U.S. election results show "democracy at work" and could bode well for the firm and its clients, in a voicemail to employees on Wednesday.

"Change is often the agent of progress in ways that we can't always readily see in the early days," he said, according to a transcript reviewed by Reuters.

President elect Donald Trump's stated commitment to infrastructure spending, government reform and tax reform, "will be good for growth, and therefore, will be good for our clients and for our firm."

Blankfein acknowledged that the presidential campaign cycle had been divisive and that many Goldman employees "may feel uncertain, or perhaps even disheartened or uncomfortable with the outcomes of these political cycles."

JPMorgan Chase & Co CEO Jamie Dimon also delivered a message to bank employees on Wednesday, saying business leaders and government officials needed to work together on solutions to the country's problems.

Dimon said a "deep desire for change" and frustration with the economy were among the reasons Trump had been voted into office.

A senior person on Trump's transition team contacted Dimon about serving as Treasury Secretary in the new administration, Reuters reported on Thursday.